Alder Hey parents win public apology

The NHS trust responsible for Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool made a public apology yesterday to the families of children whose organs were retained and stored without consent.

Parents welcomed the apology, but criticised the government after ministers failed to attend.

The apology marked a £5m settlement with nearly all of the 1,154 claimants. The settlement stipulated that the hospital should also commemorate the children, support legal reform, and give a full public apology for the retention of organs and the manner in which information was revealed to the families.

Families embarked on legal action after it was discovered in 1999 that thousands of organs were stored at Alder Hey hospital, having been taken from bodies of children over a period of many years without parental knowledge.

Angela Jones, chair of the Royal Liverpool Children's NHS trust, said changes had been made to ensure "informed consent", so that parents un derstand what may happen in post mortem procedures.

Drummond Bone, vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool, reiterated his predecessor's apology for the part the university played in the Alder Hey scandal. He said legal advice had prevented the university being as open as it would have liked during litigation.

Ian Cohen, lead claimant solicitor for the families, said that the apologies were crucial in persuading them settle out of court. Kath Shanley, from Chester, whose son's organs were retained, said: "The vast majority of parents want a change in the law, not money. We're very pleased to get the apology, but very, very disappointed no minister was here."

Kevin Valentine, from Wrexham, said: "It's disgusting that they couldn't even send a junior minister. Today's a step in the right direction, but it shows the contempt in which the government holds the parents."

David Lammy, the junior health minister, sent apologies for his absence. In a statement, he said the government has "taken clear steps to ensure that nobody again experiences this kind of distress."